‘Criminal Minds’ Star Fired Following On-Set Physical Altercation

UPDATE (8/12): Thomas Gibson has been fired from Criminal Minds following an on-set physical altercation with one of the show's producers, according to E! News.

"Thomas Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds," ABC Studios and CBS Studios said in a statement. "Creative details for how the character's exit will be addressed in the show will be announced at a later date."

Gibson also released a statement about his departure, saying, "I love Criminal Minds and have put my heart and soul into it for the last twelve years. I had hoped to see it through to the end, but that won't be possible now. I would just like to say thank you to the writers, producers, actors, our amazing crew, and, most importantly, the best fans that a show could ever hope to have."

Original story appears below.

Criminal Minds actor Thomas Gibson has been suspended from the fictional crime drama for a minimum of one episode following a physical altercation that took place between the actor and a writer-producer on set.

The incident reportedly stemmed from a creative dispute between Gibson and one of the show’s writer-producers -- believed to be Virgil Williams -- according to Deadline. Things apparently got so heated between the two that Gibson kicked the writer in the leg — a decision he says he now regrets.

“There were creative differences on the set and a disagreement. I regret that it occurred,” Gibson said, in a statement to Deadline. “We all want to work together as a team to make the best show possible. We always have and we always will.”

Gibson was immediately suspended from the show, and his future with Criminal Minds remains unclear, as the actor is currently under review by Human Resources for the incident. TMZ reports Gibson has been gone from the show for two weeks at this point.

Details of the altercation remain unclear, but a source reportedly told Page Six Gibson's reaction was in direct response to Williams, who became aggressive.

“It wasn’t like [Gibson] punched him,” the source said. “Williams is a boxer and a martial artist, he’s no angel. He can be very aggressive.”

“[Williams] got very aggressive, so Thomas walked away and then he felt like the guy was coming after him," the source continued. "He turned around and kicked just on instinct, like a reflex."

Deadline further reports that this marks the second time Gibson has struck out against a Criminal Minds co-worker during his time with the show. He reportedly shoved assistant director Ian Woolf several years ago and was ordered to attend anger management classes at the time.

Gibson has played the role of Special Agent Aaron Hotchner on Criminal Minds since the show's inception, back in 2005.